The present invention relates to a device for connecting an electric drive to at least one supply network, and to a plurality of methods for manufacturing such a device.
A plugging or plug system for connecting an (electric) drive of an electric fan to an electrical system of the motor vehicle is known in the prior art. Examples include a cooling system for cooling the engine of a motor vehicle or an air-conditioning system for cooling the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle.
FIG. 7 shows such a plug system 780 or 781 from the prior art for a double-fan system 700 of a motor vehicle cooling module.
In this double-fan system 700, two electric drive units or motors 710, 711 are connected to an electrical system 770 of a motor vehicle. The connection is made using the prior art plug system 780, 781 which is a four-pole plug connection that can be contacted at one side.
Plug system 780, 781 comprises two plug parts, each of which is contactable at one side or pluggable into one another. A three-pole or a four-pole electrical system plug connector 730 or 731, that is contactable at one side is also included. Additionally, an appurtenant three-pole or, as shown as an example, a four-pole mating connector 720 or 721, is also contactable at one side.
Electrical system plug connector 730 or 731 is connected to the electrical system 770 via a cable 740 or 741. Mating connector 720 or 721 is integrated into an electric drive motor 710 or 711, whereby the electric drive motor 710 or 711 is connected to the mating connector 720 or 721 corresponding to the cable 740 or 741 or a connection of this sort.
In the case shown, the cable 740 or 741 bundles four lines or wires, two lines being used for the main power supply which, in this case, are (+/−) lines from a battery power supply. The remaining two lines are the control and bus lines of a vehicle electronics system. For the driving of each respective drive, the corresponding holds for the integrated connection are between the mating connector 720 or 721 and the respective drive motor 710 or 711.
Given a contacted plugging system 780 or 781, or plug parts 730 or 731 and 720 or 721 that are plugged into one another, the connection between the vehicle electrical system and the (respective) drive 710 or 711 is created via four pole contacts 750 to 753 or 760 to 763, and the drive 710 or 711 is supplied via this connection with energy, as well as with control and communication signals.
Each respective drive shaft 790 or 791 is set into rotation and energy is transferred to a fan or blower.
This double fan system 700, having two drive units 710 and 711 connected to the vehicle electrical system 770 via respective one-sided contactable plug connections 780 or 781, has the disadvantage that each drive unit 710 or 711 separately contacts the electrical system 770. This requires an increased cabling expense and/or assembly expense.
Many fan drives are controlled by expensive interfaces and require a higher number of connection lines. In particular, control lines and/or bus systems, are required for each fan drive. Therefore, the associated cabling expense for the fan system as a whole is correspondingly increased.
In addition, in more expensive fan drives having additional control lines and increased cabling expense, further measures are required to decouple the individual fan drives or fan systems with respect to communication and being able to control them individually. There are also further disadvantages with regard to diagnostic capability.
Disadvantages are found in simple fan systems, and to a greater degree, in more expensive multiple fan systems in which a multiplicity of fans or fan drives must each be contacted separately to a vehicle electrical system by means of the plug connection that is contactable at one side.
The present invention is therefore based on the object of creating a plug system, and more specifically, to a connecting or terminal device for connecting an electric drive or an actuator to a supply network or to a cabling system where the connecting device is configured for a simple and economical cabling.
In addition, a modular construction, made up of a plurality of fan systems and actuators, is to be enabled.
Moreover, the present invention is intended to make it possible to avoid the above further disadvantages in more expensive fan systems, in particular in multiple-fan systems.